Tag: true crime

23 – Colin Norris: murderous nurse, or wrongfully convicted?

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, Drug-related, murder, Public Inquiry, Serial Killer, UK Crime, unsolved, Wrongly Accused

In 2002, Colin Norris was a young man at the beginning of his career in his chosen field of nursing. But the sudden death of an elderly patient, Ethel Hall, who had been under his care prompted a police investigation which scrutinised the 18 months that he had worked in Leeds General Infirmary, and he was accused of 4 murders and an attempted murder. authorities said he had maliciously administered injections of insulin to elderly patients, police said because he didn’t like old people.

But would there be enough evidence to convict him?

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22 – The horrific murder of Sylvia Fleming

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, IRA/Paramilitary links, Irish Crime, murder, sadism

The year 1998 was a particularly difficult one for the small town of Omagh, in Northern Ireland. There finally seemed to be a workable plan in place to bring about the beginning of a peace process, but along with that, emotions were heightened.

Just days before the agreement was signed, Sylvia Fleming (17) was out celebrating her first paycheque from her first job. She visited her ex boyfriend that night, and was never seen again. Her sisters, with whom Sylvia was very close, realised that something was wrong very quickly. The pregnant teenager would never have just left them. But they never thought that she would have suffered the fate that she did.

Join us this week as we look at the tragic events surrounding Sylvia Fleming’s murder, and how her community was torn apart that year.

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20 – Mamie Cadden: Abortionist & Murderer

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Capital Punishment, Child Victim, Controversial Case, Human Rights, Insanity Defence, Irish Crime, Landmark Case, Mental Health, murder, Vintage murder, Women Who Kill

Between the early 1920s and the 1950s, Ireland was a newly established developing country. The state and its society were going through many changes, and many growing pains. The establishment and new politicians were anxious to present Ireland as a good catholic place, taking it’s place on the international stage as a beacon of wholesome goodness, newly independent and thriving.

But despite this, Ireland was still a country inhabited by people, with all their failings. Despite the bans on contraception and abortion, both services were sought and obtained by the citizens.

It was into this that 34 year old Mamie Cadden moved in 1925, when she left Mayo to become a midwife in Dublin. She would soon be successful, and soon find herself treating women with procedures that were on the wrong side of the law.

Join us this week for the story of the Notorious Nurse Cadden, Dublin’s backstreet abortionist.

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19 – The Brighton Trunk Murders: Unsolved Crimes

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Capital Punishment, Domestic Violence, murder, UK Crime, unsolved, Vintage murder

This week, we take another trip back in time and have a look at three vintage murders. First, we crack open the 1832 autobiographical account of John Holloway, who murdered his first wife Celia and buried her body, hidden in a trunk, down a lovers lane.

Over 100 years later, two more trunks filled with murder victims’ bodies were found again in Brighton. One of these cases remains unsolved to this day, while the culprit for the other Toni Mancini, was never punished for his crime.

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18 – The murder of Declan Flynn & the story of Irish Pride

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, Discrimination, Human Rights, Irish Crime, Kids who Kill, Landmark Case, Mental Health, murder

In honour of Pride month, and with the Dublin Pride Parade only a week away, this episode discusses the tragic case of the beating death of Declan Flynn in Fairview Park in 1983. Declan was a victim of a gang known to stalk the park at night, “queer bashing”.

We also chart the changes in Irish law since that point in terms of rights for the LGBT+ community, which culminated in the passing of the Marriage Equality referendum in 2015.

Happy Pride ya’ll!
 

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17 – The Dunblane Massacre & Gun Crimes

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Child Victim, Controversial Case, Landmark Case, Mental Health, murder, Public Inquiry, UK Crime

 

Thomas Hamilton was a loner. He decided to dedicate his life to running boys’ clubs to keep kids off the street, but its quite likely he had ulterior motives for this. His strange, erratic and inappropriate behaviour meant that he was not well liked, his his passion, his boys’ clubs, came under scrutiny. He also had a persecution complex, and as his life fell apart due to his own actions, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

Thomas Hamilton became the man responsible for the Dunblane Massacre, the only school shooting in British History.

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16 – The Nally Case: Murder or Self Defence?

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, Discrimination, Human Rights, Irish Crime, Landmark Case, Mental Health, murder, Wrongly Accused

Living in an isoalted area is never easy. Its even more frightening when you’re and elderly farmer living on his own, certain that there are people scoping out your home for break-ins. Add that to high – profile incidents of violent robberies across the Irish countryside, and it most certainly becomes a tense situation. But does defending your land and property mean you can take a life?

In 2004 Padraig Nally faced this exact situation. But was he justified in his actions? And did discrimination play a part in the altercation at his farmhouse and the subsequent trial? This week we look at the the events surrounding the Nally Case and the impact it had on Irish Law.

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15 – Harold Shipman: Medical Murders (Part 2)

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Mental Health, murder, Public Inquiry, Serial Killer, UK Crime

 

In the second and final episode of the story of Harold Shipman, we find out how the police went about investigating his murders. A suspicious will led to questions regarding prominent citizen, Kathleen Grundy’s death and the exhumation of her body. A local doctor had become suspicious of the sheer amount of cremations being performed at Shipman’s Surgery, and so, these taken together, an investigation into recent deaths of Shipman’s patients was launched. Soon, 12 women’s bodies had been exhumed. This week, we find out a little about these women, the investigation of the police, Shipman’s lengthy trial, and the public inquiry that followed.

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15 – Harold Shipman: Medical Murders (Part 1)

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Mental Health, murder, Public Inquiry, Serial Killer, UK Crime

Harold Frederick Shipman was born near Nottingham in 1946. While attending the prestigious grammar school, High Pavement,  he took care of his ailing mother and was there when she passed away quietly from incurable cancer. His was deeply affected by her death, and by the morphine that had eased her way. He went on to become a doctor, and met and married Primrose Oxtoby name, having 3 children.

Today he is known as Doctor Death, and as Britain’s most prolific serial killer. But what events led to this discovery in 1995? In the first of a two-part series, we look at Shipman’s early life, his medical career and the beginning of his murder spree and what brought him to Hyde to set up his Surgery, where he betrayed an entire community.

Who doesn’t trust their doctor?

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14 – The Grangegorman Murders: A spree killing & a false confession

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Irish Crime, Mental Health, murder, sadism, Serial Killer, Wrongly Accused

 
 
Dublin: 1997. Three women occupy number 1 Orchard View, an assisted living facility for former patients of the nearby St Brendan’s Psychiatric Hospital. On the night of March 6th of that year, two of the women, Sylvia Sheils and Mary Callanan, were brutally murdered in their rooms. They were discovered the next morning by their housemate Ann Murnagh, and a hunt for the killer began. The Gardai soon heard that a young heroin addict who slept rough in the Grangegorman area may be responsible for the heinous crimes. Dean Lyons was questioned by the Gardai and promptly confessed to the killings. But was this man capable of the horrible crimes he had confessed to, or did the Gardai have the wrong man? There would be two further murders before the case was solved….
 
 

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